Loom beam storage and dispensing device



Aug. l2, 1969 c. D. EDENS ETAL LOOM BEAM STORAGE AND DISPENSING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 7, 1967 INVEN'TORS A Caffe/WZ Aug. 12, 1969 c. D. EDENS ETAL 3,460,660

LOOM BEAM STORAGE AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed July 7, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO'RS Caff'g v/@fai f /Vorzzzdgzo /YaWJfJJ ffazglozgjz BY 'l c n /WTORNEY Aug. 12, 1969 c. D. EDEN@ r-:TAL 3,460,660

LOOM BEAM STORAGE AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed July 7, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig. .3

Aug. 12, 1969 c. D. EDENS ETAL 3,460,660

LOOM BEAM STORAGE AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed July 7, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 NA lNlllllllll I N VENTORS f5 BY 2%' l i I i A'VroR/vl United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 193--27 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vertical storage and dispensing device for loom beams having a serpentine-shaped track means for holdmg the loom beams. The track means having a releasable stop means at each curved portion to prevent the loom beams from moving into the curved portion, and a brake means located at each of the curved portions to guide and control the movement of the loom beams while moving through the curved portions.

BACKGROUND OF THE :INVENTION Field of the invention This invention pertains to a device for storing and dispensing loom beams.

Prior art Loom beams which are rolls of fabric wound on a core have been stored on the floor or in single level racks while awaiting further processing during manufacture. While lying on the tloor, the beams and the fabric thereon may become damaged and/or dirty. Furthermore, both storage on a single level and on the oor requires a considerable amount of door space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To conserve floor space, a multiple level storage rack is proposed; however, for such a rack to be effective, it must include means to easily transfer loom beams from an upper level to a lower level. Furthermore, because of the size and weight (approximately 70() lbs.) and dimension (approximately 30 diameter and 170 length) of each loom beam, the transfer means of the device must have a brake system to control or restrict the transfer between levels to prevent damage to the device from the impact that would occur from an unrestricted or uncontrolled transfer.

The present invention entails a storage and dispensing device comprising a stacked series of substantially horizontal track or rack means to hold the loom beams, these track means being interconnected at alternate ends by end track means so that a loom beam may move gravitationally through the storage device in a serpentine or sinuous path. The end connecting tracks having a releasable stop means to prevent the loom beam from rolling into the connecting track until desired, and a brake means to control the loom beam while it is being transferred from one level to the next.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage and dispensing device in which the article is stored in multiple levels and easily transferred from one level to the next lowest level.

Another object of the present invention is providing an article storage and dispensing device in which the loading function is separated from the dispensing function so that either may be performed simultaneously if desired.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an article storage and dispensing device in which the height,

"ice

length and storage capacity of the device may be varied to suit any manufacturing requirements.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an article storage and dispensing device in which the article is controlled and aligned at each level and during transition between the levels.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an article storage and dispensing device in which the article continuously flows through the storage device from the loading end to the dispensing end.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an article storage and dispensing rack adaptable to be either fully manual, semi-automatic and remotely controlled, or fully-automatic and remotely controlled.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention `will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the storage and dis pensing device.

FIGURE 2 is a partial end elevation of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1 showing the details of the releasable stop means.

FIGURE 3 is a partial end elevation of the device of FIGURE 1 showing the details of the brake means.

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the cam surface of the cam member.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the cam surface on the bearing housing.

FIGURE `6 is a partial side view illustrating the transfer of a loom beam from one level to the next; and

FIGURE 7 illustrates a modification of the stop means illustrated in FIGURE 2.

As shown on the drawings:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in the storage and dispensing device such as illustrated in FIGURE 1, generally indicated by the numeral 10.

The device 10 comprises a frame generally indicated by the numeral 11 which supports a ystacked plurality of substantially horizontal guide track or rack means generally indicated by the numeral 12 which are interconnected by end track means generally indicated by the numeral 13. At each of the end track means 13 are releasable or actuatable stop means 14 and a brake means generally indicated by the numeral 15.

The frame 11 consists of a pair of sides each made up of a horizontal or base channel member 16 having vertical channel members 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 attached thereto. The two sides are connected together and spaced apart by a series of cross members 23 which are positioned to be out of the path of the articles in the track means 12 and 13. On each side of the frame, a horizontal side member 24 extends between vertical members 18 and 19 and member 21 and 22 to provide a support for each of the brake means 15.

The substantially horizontal track means 12 which each comprise a pair of L-shaped members 25, 25 are attached to the vertical frame members 19, 20 and 21 in a superposed relationship to form a vertical stack. As shown in FIGURE 2, the members 25, 25 have a side 26 attached to the vertical frame member 19 and an integral flange 27 which supports the loom beam or roll 28, which comprises material wound on Ia core, by confining and guiding the ends 29, 29 of the core of each of the loom beams as best shown in FIGURE 2. As shown in FIGURE 1, the members 25 of each of the track means 12 are attached t the frame so that each track means has ya slope from a high end 30 to a low end 31 so that a loom beam 28 when placed at the high end 30 will roll toward the low end 31. A slope of one and a half inches per Seventy-two inches has been found satisfactory.

The end track means 13 interconnects the high end 30 with the adjacent low end 31 of the track means 12 spaced thereabove. As illustrated in FIGURE l, the track means 12 and the end track means 13 provide a combined track means in which the loom beam 28 will follow a serpentine or Zig-zag path when passing through the device 10.

The end track means 13 comprises a pair of spaced U- shape channel members 32, 32 each of which has sides 33 and integral end flanges 34 and 35. The ends 29, 29 of the loom beam 28, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, are engaged by the flanges 34 and 35 of the member 32 while the loom beam 28 is being transferred through the end track means.

Near the junction of each of the low ends 31, and the end track means 13, the releasable stop means 14 is placed to selectively check or prevent the loom beams 28 from entering the end track means 13 until the desired time. An additional releasable stop means 14 is attached to the vertical frame member 19 to control the moving of a loom beam 28 onto an extended portion 36 of the lowest track means 12.

The extended portion 36 of the lowermost track means 12 provides a dispensing portion 37 which is free of the structure of the end track means and of the frame to allow a loom beam 28 to be vertically removed from the device 10. The dispensing portion 37 has a fixed stop means 38 attached to the frame member 17 to prevent the loom beam 28 from rolling off the portion 37 and to stop the loom beam in a position for removal from the device 10.

A detailed structure of one of the releasable stop means 13 is best illustrated in FIGURE 2. The releasable stop means 13 consists of a pair of spaced pins 39, 39 which are slidably receivable in bores 40, 40 of a lower pair of support means 41, 41 and in the bores 42, 42 of an upper pair of support means 43, 43. The supporting means 41, 41 and 43, 43 are attached to the frame members 19, 19 by any appropriate means such as bolts 44. A lower end 45 of each pin 39 is received in an opening or aperture 46 in the ilange 27 of the L-shaped member 25. If the stop means is located on the end track means 13, then the pins 39, 39 pass through vertically aligned apertures similar to 46 that are in each of the flanges 34 and 35 of the members 32, 32. Each of the pins 39 has a resilient means such as a compression spring 46 disposed about the pin member between the upper support 43 and an annular shoulder 47 which is attached to the pin 39 to bias the pin into the stopped position shown in the figures.

The pins 39, 39 are moved to an open position by an actuating means, generally indicated by the numeral 50,

which comprises a pair of wire ropes 51, 51 that are at- I tached at one end to a respective pin member 39 and attached at the other end to a pie-shaped lever arm 52. The lever arms 52, 52 are mounted on a shaft 53 which is rotatably secured at its ends to the frame 11 by means of bearings 54, 54 supported in extending members 55, 55 which are secured to `the side members 19, 19 by bolts 56. Secured on one end of the shaft 53 is a lever or crank arm 57 which when rotated will cause the actuating means to pull the pin members 39, 39 out of the stop position and allow the loom beam 28 to move into the end track means 13. If necessary due to the height of the device 10, the crank or lever arm 57 may have an extension 58, as illustrated in phantom View in FIGURE l, to enable an operator to actuate the crank 57.

As stated above, the loom beams 28 are approximately ll feet long and weigh approximately 700 lbs. each. The distance between adjacent horizontal track means 12 is approximately three feet. As may be seen from FIGURE l, a loom beam 28 moving from one level to the next through the end track means would develop a substantial speed due toits weight and the distance between the two track means. To control this movement, the brake means 15 is provided at each of the end track means to control the acceleration and speed of the movement of the loom beam and to maintain the loom beams alignment in the tracks during this transfer from one level to the next.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the structural details of one of the brake means 15 which comprises bearing housings 59 and 60 which are secured to the frame members 24, 24 respectively, and support end bearing portions 61 and 62 which are attached to a shaft 63. A pair of discs 64, 64 are mounted on a shaft 63 and attached thereto. Each of the discs 64 has attached thereto four radially extending lugs or spokes 65 which are equally spaced about the periphery of the disc.

To control the speed of the shaft 63 and the discs 64, 64, as they move with the loom beam, a cam member 66 having cam surfaces 67, 67 which are complementary tO surfaces 68, 68 of the housing 60 are disposed on `the end 62. A brake member 69 is attached on the housing 59 and has a suitable brake material 'i0 on a face adjacent the disc 64. A similar brake member 71 having suitable brake material 72 is mounted on the cam member 66 to engage the disc 64 that is at that end. A crank 73 is attached to the cam member 66 to actuate the cam and thus cause the brake members 69 and 71 to engage the discs 64, 64 to brake or slow the speed of rotation of the shaft 63 and the loom beam 28, The cam surfaces 67, 67 and their complementary surfaces 68, 68 of the housing 60 are so designed that rotating the cam member 66 with respect to the housing 60 will cause the cam member to be moved axially toward the disc 64 to apply the brake member 71. This movement will shift the shaft 63 and its disc 64 toward the housing 59 which will cause the brake member 69 to engage its respective disc 64.

As shown in FIGURE 6, a loom beam 28a is moving through the end track means 13 and while so moving, the ends 29 are engaged by the spokes or lugs 65 of the brake means 15 to retard the movement of the ends 29, 29 and maintain the alignment of the loom beam 28a. By moving the crank 73, an operator may control the speed of transit of the loom beam 28a in its passage through the end track means 13. v

FIGURE 6 also illustrates the open position of the releasable stop means 14. The second loom beam 28h is shown in the position in which it will rollas the loom beam 28a moves through the end track means 13. In operation of the device 10, the operator will rst release the releasable stop means 14 by actuating the lever 57 which will release the loom beam 28a. Then the operator will actuate the crank 73 of the brake means 15 to control the descent of the loom `beam to the next level of the track means 12. Once the lever of crank 57 has been released, the resilient spring 46 will force the pins 39, 39 into the stop position to prevent the second loom beam 28b from entering the end track means 13.

In the operation of the storage and dispensing device 10, illustrated in FIGURE l, the loom beams 28` are deposited 01 loaded on the uppermost track means 12 and dispensed or unloaded from the portion 37 which is an extension of the lowermost track means. Once the loom beam 28 is removed from the dispensing portion 37, the releasable stop means 14 at point 74 is actuated to allow a new loom beam to roll into the dispensing portion 37. This will create a space for another loom beam in the lowermost track means and the releasable stop means at point 75 is actuated to allow a loom beam to move into the track means 13 to be transferred to the lowest level. During this transfer, the brake means 15 is actuated to control and align the loom beam during the transit. Next, the releasable stop means at point 76 is actuated to allow a loom beam to move from the uppermost track means 12 to the next lower track means, and while so moving through the end track means 13, the loom beam is controlled by the brake means 15. This movement of the loom beams through the system will `14 `and the brake means 15 were manually operated, but

with minor modifications; the various actuating levers 57 and 73 could be replaced by a solenoid or hydraulic actuating system. Both of these systems could be controlled, either locally at each releasable stop means and brake means, or remotely from a central panel.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a modification in the stop means 14. This modification comprises providing -a secondary stop means consisting of a'second pin 80 which is sldably rceeived in the bores l81 of a support means 82 and the bore 83 of the support means 84. The pin 80 is connected to the pin 39 by means of a reversed linkage means 8S comprising a bar 86 pivotably attached to a frame member 19 by a pin 87. This bar 86` has elongated slots 88 and 89 which respectively engage pins 90 and 91 which are attached to the pins '39 and 80, respectively. The purpose of the linkage 85 is to move the pin 80` into a stop position across the member 25 when the pin 39 is moved into the opened or released position. This movement of the pin 80 will prevent the escapement of more than one loom beam 28 when the releasable stop means is actuated.

Although minor modiiications might be suggested by those versed in the art, `it should be understood that we Wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted thereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A storage and dispensing device comprising in combination: s

(a) a frame;

(b) an upper track means attached to said frame for carrying a plurality of articles, said track having a slope toward one end so that said articles will move toward said one end;

(c) a lower track means spaced beneath said upper track means and attached to said frame for carrying a plurality of like articles;

(d) a releasable stop means disposed at said one end of said upper track means to hold said articles on said track means;

(e) an end track means connected to said one end of said upper track means and to an adjacent end of said lower track means for transferring said articles from said upper track means to said lower track means; and

(f) a brake means disposed at said end track means for controlling the speed of an article being transferred between said upper and lower track means, said brake means comprising:

(l) a pair of bearing housings attached to said frame;

(2) a shaft having ends disposed in said bearing housing, said shaft being free to rotate in said bearing housings;

(3) a disc attached to said shaft adjacent one end, said `disc having means to engage said article as it moves in said end track means;

(4) a brake member disposed adjacent said disc;

and

(5)l actuating means to move said brake member into engagement with said disc to control the speed of rotation of said disc and thereby control the transfer of said article.

2. A storage and dispensing device according to claim 1, in which said actuating means includes (a) a cam member disposed about said shaft adjacent said housing, said cam member having a cam face engaging a complementary face on said housing; and

(b) a means to rotate said cam to force said cam member along the axis of said shaft to move said brake member into engagement with said disc.

3. A storage and dispensing device comprising in combination:

(a) a frame;

(b) an upper track means attached to said frame for carrying a plurality of articles, said track having a slope toward one end so that said articles will move toward said one end;

(c) a lower track means spaced beneath said upper track means and attached to said frame for carrying a plurality of like articles;

(d) an end track means connected to said one end of said upper track means and to an adjacent end of said lower track means for transferring said articles from said upper track means to said lower track means;

(e) a releasable stop means disposed at said one end of said upper track means to hold said articles on said track means, said stop means including:

(1) a pin;

(2) a support means attached to said frame in which said pin is slidably supported;

(3) a resilient means to bias said pin into the stop postion; and

(4) an actuating means to move said pin from the stop position to an open position to allow the movement of an article from said track means to said end track means; yand (f) a brake means disposed at said end track means for controlling the speed of an article being transferred between said upper and lower track means.

4. A storage and dispensing device according to claim 3, in which said stop means further includes an opening in said track means in which a portion of said pin moves into and engages when biased into the st-op position.

5. A storage and dispensing device according to claim 3, in which said releasable stop means includes a secondary stop means spaced along said track means from said stop means, said secondary stop means being connected to said releasable stop means so that said secondary stop means moves into a stop position as said releasable stop means is released.

6. A storage and dispensing device according to claim S, in which said secondary stop means includes a second pin, a support means attached to said frame in which said second pin is slidably supported, and a linkage means interconnecting said second pin with said pin of said releasable stop means to move said second pin in the opposite direction to said pin of said releasable stop means.

7. A loom beam storage apparatus for storing loom beams having a core with material wound thereon, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a plurality of paired racks each forming a guide track for confining and guiding the ends of the core of a loom beam, all of said racks being disposed in superposed relationship to form a vertical stack; and

(b) transfer track means joining and interconnecting said racks at the ends thereof and forming the uppermost rack as a loading station and the lowermost rack as an unloading station, said transfer track means engaging the ends of the core of the loom beam )during transfer of the loom beam between the superposed pairs of racks so that loom beams may be stored in vertically stacked relation with the material wound on the cores being free from contact with the apparatus as the loom beams are stored and moved therethrough.

y3. A loom beam storage apparatus according to claim 7, in which said track means is disposed at alternate ends of said racks to form a continuous sinuous track between the loading and unloading stations through which the loom beams move gravita-tionally.

9. A loom beam storage apparatus according to claim 8, which includes an actuatable stop means between the end of each respective rack and its corresponding transfer track means, said stop means selectively preventing movement of the ends of the core of the loom beam to selectively check downward transfer of loom beams from rack to rack.

10. A loom beam apparatus according to claim 9, which further includes a braking means engageable with the ends of the core of a loom beam and movable therewith though transverse thereof in said transfer track means to regulate and control acceleration of the loom beam during gravitational transfer from one rack to a lower rack.

11. A loom beam storage apparatus according to claim 7, in which each of said racks is a beam having a side and a bottom ange for conning and guiding the ends of the core, and said transfer track means comprises a pair of U-shaped members, each of said members having a side portion and a flange at each edge of said portion for engaging the ends of the core of the loom beam during transfer of said loom beam therethrough.

12. A loom beam storage apparatus according to claim 7, in which said lowermost rack includes an extension having a portion free of any structure of the remaining paired racks and track means so that a loom beam on said extension may be easily lifted therefrom.

13. A loom beam storage apparatus according to claim 12, which includes a releasable stop means disposed between said extension and said lowermost rack to selectively arrest the movement of the ends of the core of the loom beam to selectively control the movement of the loom beam onto said extension.

References Cited UNITED. STATES PATENTS 2,530,429 11/1950 vHedenskoog 193-32 2,790,526 4/1957 Donnelly 193-27 2,818,978 1/1958 Post 193-32 3,055,293 9/1962 Lariccia 193-27 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner 

